8-year-old boy helps family escape from Whittier house fire

Eight-year-old Niccolo Owens stands in front of his Beverly Boulevard home where he awoke to the smell of smoke at 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014. Owens then alerted his older sister and other family members who called the fire department to their Whittier, Calif. home.
Leo Jarzomb — Staff photographer

WHITTIER >> A Whittier boy is being hailed a hero after he saved his family Wednesday during an early morning house fire.

None of the six occupants were injured during the fire which broke out at 4:26 a.m. in the 12700 block of East Beverly Boulevard, said Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Thomas Richards.

Richards said the home did not have a working smoke detector.

Niccolo Owens, 8, woke up to use the restroom when he noticed a fire in his uncle’s room and reacted.

“I smelled something burning and saw the fire,” Niccolo said. “I said, ‘fire! fire!’ My uncle’s head was right by the fire — it was pretty big.”